Competition Allows High School Students To Explore Cybersecurity

The nation's largest youth cyber defense challenge is now preparing for its second round of competition, taking place this Saturday, November 6, at 1000 EDT. CyberPatriot, an exclusive opportunity for high school students to explore cybersecurity, will have nearly 400 teams virtually "face-off" for a chance to win scholarship money and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

CyberPatriot is the premier high school cybersecurity challenge in the nation produced by the Air Force Association (AFA), a nonprofit organization headquartered near Washington, D.C. This unique competition was designed to inspire students to consider science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields in their studies.

In this two-track competition, teams have registered from public, private, parochial and home schools in the Open Division while JROTC units of all Services and Civil Air Patrol squadrons filled the All-Service Division. In all, more than 650 teams registered to participate in this school year's competition.

"We are really excited to see the competition progressing and to see these students get so excited and fascinated about cybersecurity," said Bernie Skoch, CyberPatriot Commissioner. "The students are really getting a taste of both the excitement and frustration associated with cyber defense and protecting infrastructures. Our competition is a great learning experience and will hopefully attract these students to be the cyber leaders our country will desperately need in the future."

Throughout CyberPatriot, teams of five, with an approved coach, race against both the clock and their opponents as they must find and correct vulnerabilities in a virtual network. Teams are scored according to how quickly and effectively they established and maintained secure networks.

Top teams will continue to compete in a series of online rounds to determine finalists for the Championship Round at the Gaylord National Convention Center in Washington, D.C. in April 2011.

FMI: www.uscyberpatriot.org